planting suggestion wanted
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jaximus
5 year old buck +
it all depends on how much room you have and where your stand is located in relation to the potential planting sites. north side of the plot is best as you dont shade the plot and you get the most sun. i like them shifted toward the northwest with a bit of field in front, as the morning sun dries the dew off quickly.
if you hunt the plot with a bow, you have to consider shooting lanes and how much distance/obstruction you want to deal with. if its gun hunting more-so, you have to worry less.
with fruit trees, optimal sun is always my #1 priority. with the right sun, you will get more/bigger fruit, so its a better draw. if you plant the trees where they are most huntable, you may not have as good of production and thus you lose some attraction.
depending on the size/shape/location of the plot and other areas, 12 may be a little ambitious. maybe space them out in different areas where you can get maximum sun/growth and reinforce an already occurring travel pattern. if possible, you could use them to change the existing travel routes to make it more huntable with better access.
do you have tree stands or ground blinds?
how large is the plot?
post a picture from google maps saved in paint with your stand locations/trails marked?
is it a destination plot or a staging plot?
if you hunt the plot with a bow, you have to consider shooting lanes and how much distance/obstruction you want to deal with. if its gun hunting more-so, you have to worry less.
with fruit trees, optimal sun is always my #1 priority. with the right sun, you will get more/bigger fruit, so its a better draw. if you plant the trees where they are most huntable, you may not have as good of production and thus you lose some attraction.
depending on the size/shape/location of the plot and other areas, 12 may be a little ambitious. maybe space them out in different areas where you can get maximum sun/growth and reinforce an already occurring travel pattern. if possible, you could use them to change the existing travel routes to make it more huntable with better access.
do you have tree stands or ground blinds?
how large is the plot?
post a picture from google maps saved in paint with your stand locations/trails marked?
is it a destination plot or a staging plot?
Maya
5 year old buck +
Get them as much sun as possible #1, between bedding and your plot (makes a great transition zone), a higher spot if possible. Whether or not they are in one or two rows isn't a huge concern other than a north/ south orientation helps with maximizing sunlight to the trees, especially if you have 2 or more rows. That being said, I like a few rows as I think the deer feel more safe with the added cover that rows of trees provide. If you can break them up in a couple spots, all the better imo, you have more hunting spots!
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
What varieties do you have in mind? I was at my orchard last weekend and it was a great day of observation of growing apples in sandy central wisconsin. Wolf River and Northern Spy seemed to be the latest to wake up in my orchard. If you want to avoid late frosts, and want good disease resistance and huge fruit, wolf river is a great choice. Liberty and Enterprise are also the best choices for disease resistant / low maintenance apples. pristine if you need an early one with great disease resistance. I really like Centennial and Kerr if you want to consider some larger apple crabs.
jaximus
5 year old buck +
can you also put deer trails and your stand access on the map? its hard to really make any determination at this point. also zoomed out to show what looks like fields to the west and maybe north? the location of your potential planting spots look pretty good, it would allow the plot to stay long and thin without cutting anything off. i would probably want a couple trees up in the n/w corner in that little bubble.
the reason i ask about the trails is you can make them walk through the plot to the tree to get a better shot. if they enter from the s/e corner, and your trees are by your lines you dont get much movement.
the reason i ask about the trails is you can make them walk through the plot to the tree to get a better shot. if they enter from the s/e corner, and your trees are by your lines you dont get much movement.
tooln
5 year old buck +
I access the stand from the East. I have a stand NNE of the intended planting location. Most deer will come from the South & South West, but I have had them come from the East. The little bubble has a few really nice oaks & this is a clover/chicory plot that is lower and stays wet. My intended spot is higher and drier.
D
dipper
Guest
I don't know if that's the best spot for apples. I have some apple and pears close to mature trees. They have plenty of sunlight, but still don't fruit the best. My theory is the roots on those mature oaks are sucking the majority of the nutrients/ water, and the fruit trees are impacted.
Fruit trees are meant for open locations, and that isn't one.
Keep it in a food plot or triple it in size.
Fruit trees are meant for open locations, and that isn't one.
Keep it in a food plot or triple it in size.
aerospacefarmer
5 year old buck +
Goldrush, Arkansas Black, liberty, enterprise, freedom and jonagold would be my picks for deer
